I didn’t want to hear anything she had to say.I didn’t need—or want—to hear how terrible a person I was.Or how horrible my family was.
“You’ll want to strap the shuttle down for departure,” I told her.“Once that’s done, you can tell Dax he’s free to take off.”
Without waiting for a response, I crossed the cargo hold and led Layla to my room.
58
Dax
We leftKottke as sunrise was breaking over the planet.It painted the desolate landscape in stunning pinks, rich oranges, and fiery yellows.We cleared their airspace without reaching out to their control tower.No point in letting them try to deny us.
“Sure looks better from up here,” Orion said.
I agreed.
The four of us were on the bridge, celebrating a successful mission and planning our future.Except I didn’t feel much like celebrating.
“She’s pissed,” Burn said.
I didn’t have to ask for clarification, even though there were two more women on board.
“Are you really just going to let her leave?”Burn asked.
“Why wouldn’t he?”Mercer asked.“It was what the three of you agreed to, right?”
Burn scowled at him.“Sure, but things change.”
“You just want her to stick around for the treasure.”
Burn stuck her tongue out at him.
I was surrounded by toddlers.
“Tell me you don’t want to go on a treasure hunt.”
Orion’s cough sounded an awful lot like a laugh.
“It’s not real, Burn.They never sent the ore ship.There is no treasure.It’s just a fairy tale,” Mercer said.
“Layla thinks it’s real and I believe her.”
“Treasure aside, what are you going to do, Dax?”Orion’s serious tone sobered the atmosphere on the bridge.
“I’d like her to stay.I’d like you all to agree to bring her onto the crew.”
Burn’s half-smile gave me hope that she would agree.Mercer and Orion, though, were inscrutable.
“And if we don’t?”Mercer asked calmly.
Was I really doing this?Yeah, I was.“Then I’m going to beg her to let me come with her.”
Burn’s squeal nearly deafened me.
Mercer glared at me.“You’d give up all this for?—”
I cut him off.“For love?Yeah, I’d give this all up for love.”
“That sounds like an ultimatum,” Mercer said.“You know how I feel about those.”
